How Dangerous Is Mold?

The Harmful Effects Of Mold Exposure In Your Home Or Office

Mold is not actually one thing, it is a blanket term used to describe an assortment of undesirable fungi that can be found indoors as well as outdoors. For mold to prosper, it requires a moist environment. Mold damages the structural integrity on anything that it grows on, and as such it presents some significant health risks to humans, including being a leading cause of allergies and infections.

Some Shocking Statistics About Mold

There have been over 100,000 types of mold that have been identified, and according to several studies, the air inside our home and workplaces is often worse than the air outside of them. This is a significant concern because Americans spend as much as 90% of the time indoors, 60% of which is spent in the home. Scientists have linked exposure to high levels of mold in homes to depression, and the most highly-toxic strain, Stachybotrys chartarum, has even been linked to human death.

Why Is Mold Such A Health Concern?

Mold spores are completely invisible. When you see mold forming on bread, it is the result of hundreds of clusters of connected groupings of molds. By the time you see the evidence of mold forming, you’ve already had long-term exposure to the mold, without ever knowing it. This not only makes it difficult to know that you’re being exposed to mold, but it makes it very difficult to find the location of the mold to eradicate it.

Although there are literally thousands of different strains of mold, it really comes down to just a few that are the biggest threats to your health, including the aforementioned Stachybotrys chartarum strain, which is more commonly known as black mold. There is enough supporting evidence that exposure to these particular strains of mold has the potential to lead to the development of serious health issues for otherwise healthy people, including death.

While exposure to most molds are not believed to pose serious health risks to most people, it is generally accepted that all molds pose some level of health risk to people. Mold exposure has been shown to cause rashes, dizziness, hay fever and other allergic reactions, nausea, headaches, and asthma attacks. Those with already weakened immune systems are the most at risk, and they are more prone to develop serious lung infections following long-term exposure to mold.

Watch for early signs and symptoms of mold exposure, such as unexplained depression, allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and disorders involving the nervous system. Some people experience brain fog, which is when they have difficulty remembering things that they should recall easily, such as names and places. If you have any of these signs, and there is no other reasonable explanation for them, then you should seek the help of a professional to ascertain whether or not your symptoms are caused by mold exposure.

You can reduce your risk of exposure to mold spores by ensuring that your home is properly ventilated, keeping your indoor humidity levels to no more than 30% with the use of an air conditioner or a dehumidifier, and by fixing leaks as they happen and drying waterlogged areas to avoid providing the type of habitat that mold needs to grow.

The Harmful Effects Of Mold Exposure In Your Home Or Office
Mold is not actually one thing, it is a blanket term used to describe an assortment of undesirable fungi that can be found indoors as well as outdoors. For mold to prosper, it requires a moist environment. Mold damages the structural integrity on anything that it grows on, and as such it presents some significant health risks to humans, including being a leading cause of allergies and infections.
Some Shocking Statistics About Mold
There have been over 100,000 types of mold that have been identified, and according to several studies, the air inside our home and workplaces is often worse than the air outside of them. This is a significant concern because Americans spend as much as 90% of the time indoors, 60% of which is spent in the home. Scientists have linked exposure to high levels of mold in homes to depression, and the most highly-toxic strain, Stachybotrys chartarum, has even been linked to human death.
Why Is Mold Such A Health Concern?
Mold spores are completely invisible. When you see mold forming on bread, it is the result of hundreds of clusters of connected groupings of molds. By the time you see the evidence of mold forming, you've already had long-term exposure to the mold, without ever knowing it. This not only makes it difficult to know that you're being exposed to mold, but it makes it very difficult to find the location of the mold to eradicate it.
Although there are literally thousands of different strains of mold, it really comes down to just a few that are the biggest threats to your health, including the aforementioned Stachybotrys chartarum strain, which is more commonly known as black mold. There is enough supporting evidence that exposure to these particular strains of mold has the potential to lead to the development of serious health issues for otherwise healthy people, including death.
While exposure to most molds are not believed to pose serious health risks to most people, it is generally accepted that all molds pose some level of health risk to people. Mold exposure has been shown to cause rashes, dizziness, hay fever and other allergic reactions, nausea, headaches, and asthma attacks. Those with already weakened immune systems are the most at risk, and they are more prone to develop serious lung infections following long-term exposure to mold.
Watch for early signs and symptoms of mold exposure, such as unexplained depression, allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and disorders involving the nervous system. Some people experience brain fog, which is when they have difficulty remembering things that they should recall easily, such as names and places. If you have any of these signs, and there is no other reasonable explanation for them, then you should seek the help of a professional to ascertain whether or not your symptoms are caused by mold exposure.
You can reduce your risk of exposure to mold spores by ensuring that your home is properly ventilated, keeping your indoor humidity levels to no more than 30% with the use of an air conditioner or a dehumidifier, and by fixing leaks as they happen and drying waterlogged areas to avoid providing the type of habitat that mold needs to grow.